Andy’s update From Meeting Feb 17: Worthington City Council is going to look at whether 505.08 should be changed. The city is not taking any position on the issue, and it could even come to pass that the restrictions regarding domestic chickens become even more stringent.

That seemed pretty reasonable to me. I really do believe that looking at this issue carefully is going to be the best way to come up with a solution that can benefit everyone.

All Council members present were in favor of allocating resources to studying the issue. No time line was given, though I think the general consensus was that it would be dealt with in a matter of months.

When Andy Smigelski told his parents he wanted to keep chickens as pets, they told him it was illegal but that he could tackle the project on his own.

Andy said he wants to eat the eggs as the second step in growing his own food.

Ã¢â‚¬Å“I decided I wanted to have chickens in my back yard, so I really wanted to raise some of my own food, trying to grow a garden and I thought chickens would be the next step in that,Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Smigelski said.

Andy went before the Grandview Heights City Council at its Monday, March 2, meeting to ask that the ordinance currently banning farm animals within city limits be repealed.

More here[/url]

Apologies for bumping an oldie, thought this was an interesting article.

There is a hearing regarding chickens for the Worthington City Council meeting this Monday, June 8, 2009.
The meeting begins at 7:30 pm.

The meeting agenda and backup information will be available by tomorrow on the CityÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s website: www.worthington.org, in the City Council meeting information for June 8, 2009.

Lynda Bitar
Development Coordinator

Attachment excerpt:
A petition was submitted requesting a change to the Worthington Code to allow chickens to be kept as pets by modifying the 150Ã¢â‚¬â„¢ restriction. The petition was signed by approximately 160
people, most of whom are residents of Worthington. In addition, residents have sent letters of support for changing the restriction.

Typical comments include:
Allowing chickens would reinforce WorthingtonÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s commitment to sustainability
* Keeping food close to home/self-sufficiency
* Fresh eggs free of antibiotics, disease, etc./Healthy eating
* Aeration, fertilizer, chemical free pest control
* Chickens make good pets Ã¢â‚¬â€œ clean, friendly, unique personalities, small, quiet
* Potential 4-H opportunity/teaching opportunity for children
* Promotes Ã¢â‚¬Å“village like atmosphereÃ¢â‚¬Â and charm of the community
* Existing nuisance ordinance is sufficient to deal with any problems that might arise
* Dogs can be more of a threat and nuisance than chickens
* Should not be considered the same as horses and cattle

Chickens are a lot of work/Not many residents would have them (Since Ann Arbor approved a chicken ordinance in June of 2008 allowing up to 4 chickens per property, only 12 people have applied to keep chickens (population estimate 113,000))

National trend is to allow chickens
* Progressive attitude
* No roosters should be allowed

Many proponents for allowing more chickens in the City also support regulations for health of chickens, cleanliness, number of chickens, size and placement of coops, and proper containment. Also, many feel adjacent neighbors should have an opportunity to express concerns.

Good to see this moving forward. In the current economic climate I am still amazed that, due to uneducated and irrational fears, people would rather make (or keep) something common sense like food production illegal. Hopefully the folks fighting the good fight in Worthington have some success.

Columbus, at least by my reading of the municipal code, has nothing to say about chickens. I know Grandview and Worthington have bans. And have citizens actively working to revise the codes. I believe one of the Grandview council members is known to “illegally” raise chickens in the backyard.

ETA

To go a bit further in my ranting, if anyone hasn’t checked it out yet the Urban Farmer’s Market on 4th is pretty awesome. Our society would be a lot better served (and our government’s budget better) if we did simple things like teach basic food production to people that need it the most. A number of states allow welfare funds to be spent on food seeds to grow crops. Amazing at how much common sense that idea has. Couple that type of mentality with the urban farmers market type model and other sustainable practices-like community gardens- and we might start to see a lot better outlook on the future.

When Andy Smigelski told his parents he wanted to keep chickens as pets, they told him it was illegal but that he could tackle the project on his own.
Andy said he wants to eat the eggs as the second step in growing his own food.
Ã¢â‚¬Å“I decided I wanted to have chickens in my back yard, so I really wanted to raise some of my own food, trying to grow a garden and I thought chickens would be the next step in that,Ã¢â‚¬Å“ Smigelski said.
Andy went before the Grandview Heights City Council at its Monday, March 2, meeting to ask that the ordinance currently banning farm animals within city limits be repealed.

More here[/url]
Apologies for bumping an oldie, thought this was an interesting article.

Council drops issue:

The only chickens youÃ¢â‚¬â„¢re going to see in Grandview will be on a plate and not in a back yard.

NBC 4 reported with the FAST FACTS.

Sophomore Andy SmigelskiÃ¢â‚¬â„¢s efforts to get his local city council to OK a law that would allow people to keep hens in their yards as pets, egg-laying pets, were in vain.

So, what are the most recent developments regarding people raising backyard chickens in greater Columbus ?

Would it make any sense to not eat a chicken until it has died of old age ? My guess is that the flavor and texture of the meat changes for the worse as an animal ages. I guess that would apply to eating people too.

TomOver wrote >>
So, what are the most recent developments regarding people raising backyard chickens in greater Columbus ?
Would it make any sense to not eat a chicken until it has died of old age ? My guess is that the flavor and texture of the meat changes for the worse as an animal ages. I guess that would apply to eating people too.

I’m still very much interested in the topic and would be interested in developments as well.

What would be interesting is if someone raising chickens legally could host a meetup and let people see it first hand. Not a big commercial operation but the typical 4-6 hen back yard setup.

TomOver wrote >>
So, what are the most recent developments regarding people raising backyard chickens in greater Columbus ?
Would it make any sense to not eat a chicken until it has died of old age ? My guess is that the flavor and texture of the meat changes for the worse as an animal ages. I guess that would apply to eating people too.

I’m still very much interested in the topic and would be interested in developments as well.
What would be interesting is if someone raising chickens legally could host a meetup and let people see it first hand. Not a big commercial operation but the typical 4-6 hen back yard setup.

Yeah, people getting together in-person and furthering our food security sounds good. I am open to the idea of having chickens even though I eat a vegan diet. I am open to the idea because I realize that if I am too much of a purist, I am less able to help build a mass movement for revolutionizing our way of life.

People with backyard chickens are likely to treat them better than what goes on at, say, facilities that Tyson operates.

At what point do we set this online talk aside and meet with people in the community face to face to improve our food security ? I am right now also interested in canning and pressure cooking though I don’t have the cash to buy that equipment.

Suburbanites want place for their chickens to roost
Saturday, April 30, 2011
BY COLLIN BINKLEY
THE COLUMBUS DISPATCH

Keep the chicken coop from turning into a pigpen, and bribe the neighbors with an occasional egg. Those are some of the nuggets of wisdom that Andrew Mills has acquired since he started raising chickens last year in his Bexley backyard.

I’ve been thinking about a Coturnix Quail coop. Nicer,tastier and quieter than roosters and the hens still make 200 to 300 eggs per year. Tractor Supply has many different kinds of chicks and ducklings, FYI.